Cloudhouse launches Foundry to automate legacy app packaging
Cloudhouse has introduced Foundry, a new platform designed to automate the process of application packaging and help organisations address compatibility challenges in their IT estates.
The tool aims to simplify the deployment of business-critical applications across modern platforms, particularly as enterprises accelerate cloud adoption and digital transformation projects.
Compatibility issues
Recent research from Cloudhouse has shed light on the barriers faced by IT leaders when updating legacy systems. According to a survey conducted by the company, 53% of Chief Information Officers reported struggling with compatibility challenges while attempting to modernise business-critical applications. Security vulnerabilities and migration difficulties were highlighted by 48% and 46% of respondents, respectively.
In addition, two-thirds of surveyed organisations revealed they continue to run workloads on outdated or unsupported Linux distributions, further contributing to what is described as "technical debt." This reliance on legacy software is seen as a persistent drag on progress for enterprises looking to modernise IT operations.
Platform functionality
Foundry is positioned as a self-service platform capable of ingesting applications from a range of sources, such as installers, disk images, or virtual machines. It then automates their transformation into deployable, standardised packages suitable for modern environments. This includes destinations such as Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop and allows pipeline processes to be standardised across both Windows and Linux systems.
The platform seeks to eliminate the manual processes often associated with application packaging, removing the need for time-consuming rewrites or vendor involvement. Foundry's packaging automation is designed to give IT teams direct control over software deployment, regardless of the application's age or complexity.
"Application packaging has become one of the most persistent blockers to modernisation - costly, manual, and often dependent on vendor cooperation," said Mat Clothier, CEO of Cloudhouse. "With Foundry, we're removing that bottleneck for good. It gives organisations control over their applications, however old or complex, and allows them to deploy anywhere with confidence. Rather than endlessly firefighting, Foundry empowers IT teams to modernise on their own terms."
Deployment options
Foundry offers deployment flexibility designed to support organisations at various points in their digital transformation journey. The platform can be operated on-premises, hosted in a cloud environment, or delivered through trusted partners. This range of options aims to support enterprises with differing infrastructure requirements, and provide scalability with reduced operational overheads.
Cloudhouse states that Foundry is intended to help enterprises of all sizes deal with the ongoing cost and complexity of managing legacy software. The platform is part of Cloudhouse's wider portfolio, which includes Alchemy and Guardian-tools designed for application portability, management, and compliance monitoring.
The company's research indicates a significant number of organisations are considering or already engaged in moving workloads to the cloud but are held back by unresolved compatibility and security issues. Automating the packaging and preparation of critical software is positioned as a key step in overcoming these hurdles and making IT environments more resilient.
Clothier said, "With Foundry, we're removing that bottleneck for good. It gives organisations control over their applications, however old or complex, and allows them to deploy anywhere with confidence."
